A rent-a-companion for older travelers

By Matthew Heimer

Reuters

Less daunting with a paid companion.

People currently in their 50s and 60s spend more money on leisure travel than any other age group does, and the frequency with which they travel for pleasure has been growing, as MarketWatch contributor Catey Hill has reported. Of course, that’s also the age range at which physical and cognitive impairments begin to take their toll on more would-be vagabonds, making any trip tougher for them and their families. One 60-something married couple—a retired American Airlines pilot and a professional caregiver—saw a start-up opportunity in the collision of those trends. Now their company, Care-to-Go, charges $200 to $400 a day plus expenses to send a traveling companion on the road with older vacationers to help them navigate security lines, delays and other transit hassles en route. Reuters retirement columnist Mark Miller singles out Care-to-Go this week as an example of a broader trend: Niche companies catering to a fast-growing, economically powerful retiree population that’s trying to sustain a high quality of life.

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About Encore

Encore looks at the changing nature of retirement, from new rules and guidelines for financial security to the shifting identities, needs and priorities of people saving for and living in retirement. Our lead blogger is editor Matthew Heimer, and frequent contributors include editor Amy Hoak, writer Catey Hill, and MarketWatch columnists Elizabeth O’Brien, Robert Powell and Andrea Coombes. Encore also features regular commentary from The Wall Street Journal retirement columnists Glenn Ruffenach and Anne Tergesen and the Director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, Alicia H. Munnell.